Readers are invited to submit letters to The Guardian.
Letters may be e-mailed to guardian@cpa.org.au.
Letters of 300-400 words are preferred.

Letters to the Editor:

Get rid of the lot

How much longer do Bush, Blair and Howard think they can get 
away with their lies and arrogant, aggressive behaviour? The 
patience of the public in the US, the UK and Australia is wearing 
thin. All three have to face the electorate soon.

All three have been forced to hold inquiries. They got away with 
controlling the ambit and personnel involved. Hutton's whitewash 
was so feeble that Blair is in deeper than before, frantically 
searching another way out.

It's the security and misnamed intelligence agencies that are in 
all three cases being lined up as scapegoats. A very dangerous 
game for any government to play and God knows what they know 
about the governments that they don't want to leak out if they 
upset these outfits too much.

Already in all three countries individuals from these agencies 
have stepped bravely forward to add a few home truths about the 
non-existence of stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction and 
the impending global threat posed by Saddam. One is dead — his 
death the subject of another cover-up.

There is a limit to how long any security outfit will swallow its 
pride and go on lying for a government which is trying to make it 
the fall guy. Dumb politics — Eh?

Surely these are very dangerous enemies to make for a government 
after re-elected.

People don't like being lied to. And moreover, they don't like 
unjustified wars and occupations.

These are not the only problems facing these governments. 
Electorates in all three countries are fuming over cuts to social 
services, education, health, public transport, particularly so 
when they are accompanied by tax cuts and whopping hikes in war 
budgets. No money — Eh?

Nor can major opposition parties sit back complacently. They 
after all voted for or went along with most of it.

In Britain and the USA the working class have the option of 
voting with their feet, but in Australia voting is compulsory. 
Let's use the Federal election to crucify the Howard warmongering 
government, but let's not forget to join forces and build an 
anti-war, anti-Free Trade Agreement, pro-people alternative.

J E Simpson
Ultimo, NSW

Why is being "green" being anti-farmer?

John Anderson, Federal Minister for Transport and Deputy Prime 
Minister, said this on ABC radio on 22/1/2004.

There are more "green" farmers now than ever before. Many pioneer 
environmentalists were farmers, or people who worked the land.

Has John Anderson, a "traditional" farmer, bothered to do his 
homework? Perhaps the "greening" of the farmers has something to 
do with all the various kinds of "green" education, and basically 
the desire to work the land better, and to preserve a farm's 
fertility and viability.

Denis Kevans
Wentworth Falls, NSW

The Guardian article on the life of Chris Kempster is 
also a tribute to Madeline, his mother, a remarkable woman in the 
'30s, '40s and '50s.

Madeline was a member of the Communist Party before and after the 
Second World War.

She took her socialist message and program to her many 
colleagues, teachers and the children she taught — musicians, 
artists, writers, authors and others. She had remarkable ability 
as an organiser, public speaker and anti-war activist.

Madeline was elected as an Australian delegate to peace 
conferences in Vienna and Berlin. She took this message on her 
Australian itinerary, at rallies, conferences and meetings 
locally and interstate: that the world would never be safe while 
the armament warmongers and reactionary governments used all 
their weapons to destroy people in bloody war.

Chris' steps follow the giant strides of his mother, as true 
daughters and sons of the Australian working class.

Phyllis Johnson
Padstow, NSW

Latham's idea to have an independent Speaker for the Federal 
Parliament has merit. However, to appoint an Independent MP would 
only neutralise the Independent and be seen as a major party 
trick.

Why not appoint an independent non-politician from outside the 
legislature? And whilst they are at it why not appoint all 
Ministers from outside the Parliament where the choice is 
infinitely greater? The quality of the government, of any 
government, would improve beyond belief. This is the system in 
all European countries and in the US. Could Latham move to end 
the functional amateurism of our politicians??

Klaas Woldring
Pearl Beach, NSW

Bravo to Latham and the ALP for putting the kibosh on 
Australia's participation in the US National Missile Defence 
fiasco thus saving many millions for pro-social policies.

Howard should explain how much his NMD plans are going to cost 
the community and which of our cities are going to be 
"protected".

How good is his intelligence this time.

Time to go Johnnie!

Gareth Smith
Byron Bay, NSW